“Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
Mt 5:19
What is your spiritual life rooted in?
It could be a daily time of prayer, going to church, looking to the examples of men and women of faith before you, spiritual disciplines like fasting, what you know, or what you’ve read about the faith. All of these are good things to do. In the passage today Jesus points to a practice that is often neglected – obedience.
The passage today has never been very popular, in fact as early as the Second Century there are examples of people who have wanted to take this passage out of the Bible altogether. In that early example is was Marcion, an early teacher who was condemned as a heretic. He wasn’t comfortable with a faith that was still connected to the commandments. Yet, Jesus over and over calls on his disciples both to believe and to act.
To be a disciple means to follow Jesus in the path of fidelity and obedience. We are to believe God’s word and obey God’s command in every area of our lives.
Jesus calls us to a life that is aligned with God in the big things and the small things that we do. Jesus wants the Kingdom of God to break into our lives in every corner. The call to obedience is a call to be transformed. God is looking to be a part of our lives beyond just our spiritual practices. God wants to guide our entire lives. He wants to lead us to become the very people we were made to be.
Question for today
- What is one area of your life God is asking you to live out in greater obedience?
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